CAT 4 Level E Test Online Preparation, Tips & Free Practice Questions – 2025
What Is the CAT 4 Level E Test?
The CAT 4 Level E Test, also known as the Cognitive Abilities Test Edition 4, is an aptitude test used throughout schools in the United Kingdom. This test is used to measure cognitive abilities of students that are in grade 8. The CAT 4 Level E Test can be used for a variety of reasons, but it is most commonly used to admit intelligent children into gifted and talented programs, or simply to assess how a child is performing in school. The test is made up of four different test sections that are used to conduct further testing on several subjects. The types of questions asked on this exam are not typical questions used on traditional school tests. For this reason, it is important that children study and prepare for this test.
What Are CAT 4 Level E’s Test Sections?
The CAT 4 Level E will be made up of four individual sections, which are also referred to as batteries. Each battery will further include two subsections that are used to test on specific knowledge areas. Every subsection will have a set time limit, which means students will be expected to be able to answer questions quickly and efficiently. The CAT 4 Level E includes the following sections and subsections.
Quantitative Reasoning
- Number Series: Number Series consists of 18 questions with a completion time limit of 8 minutes. Questions include a number series that follow a specific mathematical progression. Students will be required to choose a number from the answer options that follows the progression.
- Number Analogies: Number Analogies consists of 18 questions with a completion time limit of 10 minutes. Questions includes numbers that are presented as “A to B : C to __.” The first pair of numbers will be related in some way, and the second pair will need to follow the same relation.
Verbal Reasoning
- Verbal Analogies: Verbal Analogies consists of 24 questions with a completion time limit of 10 minutes. Questions include words that are presented as “A to B : C to __.” The first pair of words will be related in some way, and the second pair will need to follow the same relation.
- Verbal Classification: Verbal Classification consists of 24 questions with a completion time limit of 8 minutes. Questions include a presentation of three words with a similar meaning. Students will be required to choose a single word from the answer options that includes the same meaning.
Nonverbal Reasoning
- Figure Matrices: Figure Matrices consists of 24 questions with a completion time limit of 10 minutes. Questions include a 2×2 matrix with a top row filled with shapes. The second row will only have one shape which is related in the exact same way with a single answer option.
- Figure Classification: Figure Classification consists of 24 questions with a completion time limit of 10 minutes. Questions include a presentation of three figures with a similar pattern. Students will be required to choose a single figure from the answer options that includes the same pattern.
Spatial Ability
- Figure Recognition: Figure Recognition consists of 18 questions with a completion time limit of 9 minutes. Questions include a piece of paper that has been folded and received several hole punches. The students will be required to discern how that paper should look if it were unfolded in order to choose the correct answer.
- Figure Analysis: Figure Analysis consists of 18 questions with a completion time limit of 9 minutes. Questions include a presentation of a single shape that matches with one of five presented shapes, which students must choose from.
How to Read CAT 4 Level E’s Score Report
- Raw Score: The first score on the score report is the raw score, which is the tallied-up number of correct answers listed over the number of total answers.
- Standard Age Score (SAS): The second score on the score report is the Standard Age Score (SAS), which is a comparison of raw scores amongst students of the same age.
- National Percentile Rank (NPR): The third score on the score report is the National Percentile Rank (NPR), which is a conversion of the SAS score into a specific percentage that shows their overall performance.
- Stanine (ST): The fourth score on the score report is the Stanine score, which is a number from 1 to 9 that determines your student’s cognitive ability levels, with 1 being the lowest score and 9 being the highest.
CAT 4 Level E Test Tips
- Identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Practice exams are a great tool for figuring out which areas your child excels in and which ones they struggle with. It is recommended that children practice an entire practice exam first, and then focus on any areas that were noticeably more difficult.
- Start studying ahead of time. Parents should encourage their children to start studying at least two weeks in advance. Do not wait until the night before or a few days before to start studying. This will lead to a lack of knowledge retention and could ultimately stress your child out, which could cause more harm than good.
How to Prepare for the CAT 4 Level E Test?
The CAT 4 Level E Test includes four sections with several subsections, which means students need to be prepared to test on a variety of material. Parents should encourage their children to use online studying material, specifically practice exams and study guides with included explanations. After your child completes a practice exam, they will be able to read through detailed explanations for every question and answer. These explanations will explain why a question was answered right or wrong, and will provide your child with helpful tips that will assist them on the actual exam. Students that wish to score high on the CAT 4 Level E Test will need to develop a solid study plan that includes plenty of practice exams.
CAT 4 Level E Test Sample Questions
Paper Folding Example Question:
On the top row, you can see how a square piece of paper is folded once, twice, and three times. After the paper has been folded, holes are punched. Which option choice depicts how the folded piece of paper would appear when unfolded?
Explanations: B is the right answer. The square paper was first folded diagonally in half to form a triangle and then folded again from each corner towards the triangle’s center. The folded paper was then punched with four holes. Each of the four holes passes through four layers of paper. As a result, the solution should have sixteen holes (4 holes x 4 layers) all on the outer edge of the paper.
Figure Matrix Example Question:
The rows and columns in the picture follow a certain rule. Choose the figure from the answer choices that follows the same rule and completes the empty box in the matrix.
Explanation: The outer form of each row remains the same, but it rotates 90 degrees clockwise. As a result, the form that will emerge in the empty box will be pointing towards the right. Furthermore, the forms in each row contain one, two, or three dots that are not repeated (although they may repeat within a column). Because the second row already contains shapes with one and three dots, the missing box must have a shape with two dots. The only answer choice that pointing right and has two dots is answer choice C, making this the correct answer.
Figure Analysis Example Question:
Figure Analysis questions depict a piece of paper that has been folded numerous times and then punctured with holes. Unfolded sheets with punched-in holes are among the response options. Determine which of the answer options is the result of the unfolding the folded punched-in paper in the question.
Explanation: The paper in the question if folded once and then a second times towards the center. Each fold makes one layer over the bottom layer and does not fold over each other to create a third layer. Three holes are then punched. With 3 holes x 2 layers of papers, the unfolded sheet should have 3×2=6 holes. These holes should be next to the folded edge on each side, not on the outer edges.